HEKI Sun Protection & Reflectix
Looking for expert opinions on how to best protect the inside of my new (used) Northstar camper from the intense heat of summer. I've got a big HEKI hatch over the bed, and have drawn the dark scre...
Forum Discussion
HMS Beagle etc,
The cover in the pics silversand posted is my OEM front hatch cover with aluminum 1/16" thick X 1 1/4 X 1 1/4 angle properly glued and pop riveted to the sides of the OEM cover with the rearward angle being 1 1/2" angle opened up approx 15 degrees and inverted to form a protective extension cover so the cover can be open during even a heavy rain. The ends of each angle are notched and bent 90 degrees to allow pop riveting to the next side. Sides of the cover only have pop rivets, NO holes thru the top surface and no future leaks. The angle surface overlaying on top of the cover's top surface has mitered corners that butt tightly and all is totally sealed with adhesive caulk so there's no possibility of water intrusion.
Then the entire exposed plastic cover's exterior was sanded to clean and slightly roughen up the surface and UV resistant bright white spray painted (bomb can) 2 coats including the aluminum so it is very smooth and doesn't have pockets to hold dirt and thus it stays white and reflective to the sun's heat rays. The paint keeeps the plastic of the cover shielded from aging and deteriorating with UV rays and and the elements and keeps it so much cooler to begin with. Now the finished cover looks professional and many times stronger than the OEM cover was and can even be open going down the highway with out fear of flexing or breaking. Then, there's the very effective 2 sided radiant aluminum foil on the inside which is also a very effective sound barrier which reflects inside cool down in summer and any heat from the outside up. In winter, it reflects the inside heated air down and the outside cold up.
Radiant heat or cold heats or cools objects which then heat or cool the ambient air. For instance, a campfire flame feels very hot on your face from radiant heat even if you are at or below the flame but the actual heated air from the flame only goes up in calm winds as heat always naturally rises! The sun's radiant heat is very intense and that's is the culprit. White or shiny silver reflects the radiant heat while dark surfaces absorb the heat and that should be what guides your thinking. Best way is to use what works the best and has been proven to.
As silversand had mentioned, neither he nor I will disclose my background in effective RV insulation measures since 1993 but they are widely used by the better/high end RV manufacturers. Some do use/install insulating materials correctly and some do not as an air leak is an air leak and that makes a huge difference. Only a few manufacturers have ever actually Thermochamber tested their true production RV unit/units at zero F and 100 F as it's expensive and time consuming but doing so tells the real truths! Several of those who have actually put into print the test results in their brochures. Look for them as they do mean something! A claim to be true 4 season RV's by some is very bogus and as usual, the buying public believes the salesman or a claim in a brochure with NO certification or certified test results printed and it's sham!
covered wagon,
I have no idea why you'd have any flaking of foil under your mattress as it's so far from normal. We have also had Astro Foil under every TC mattress since 2001 and never had as much as one flake or any derogatory issues and it's been extremely effective even in below zero F use. So have the many friends of ours I've exposed them to the reflective bubble wrap and use it and never heard a peep about anything like flaking or failures. They swear by it! True that Reflectix is a cheap knockoff of the more expensive original better 2 sided foil bubble wrap "Astro Foil" which was originally developed for NASA and has and is used in all the space vehicles and very high altitude jet fighters. It's colder up there than anywhere on earth and hotter during the return into the atmosphere than anywhere on earth! If it protects humans etc in those vehicles from freezing or cooking, don't you think it just might really help you in your RV down on the Planet Earth? True that nobody but you knows what you may have used on either side of your bubble wrap at any time but I'm very suspicious!
The cover in the pics silversand posted is my OEM front hatch cover with aluminum 1/16" thick X 1 1/4 X 1 1/4 angle properly glued and pop riveted to the sides of the OEM cover with the rearward angle being 1 1/2" angle opened up approx 15 degrees and inverted to form a protective extension cover so the cover can be open during even a heavy rain. The ends of each angle are notched and bent 90 degrees to allow pop riveting to the next side. Sides of the cover only have pop rivets, NO holes thru the top surface and no future leaks. The angle surface overlaying on top of the cover's top surface has mitered corners that butt tightly and all is totally sealed with adhesive caulk so there's no possibility of water intrusion.
Then the entire exposed plastic cover's exterior was sanded to clean and slightly roughen up the surface and UV resistant bright white spray painted (bomb can) 2 coats including the aluminum so it is very smooth and doesn't have pockets to hold dirt and thus it stays white and reflective to the sun's heat rays. The paint keeeps the plastic of the cover shielded from aging and deteriorating with UV rays and and the elements and keeps it so much cooler to begin with. Now the finished cover looks professional and many times stronger than the OEM cover was and can even be open going down the highway with out fear of flexing or breaking. Then, there's the very effective 2 sided radiant aluminum foil on the inside which is also a very effective sound barrier which reflects inside cool down in summer and any heat from the outside up. In winter, it reflects the inside heated air down and the outside cold up.
Radiant heat or cold heats or cools objects which then heat or cool the ambient air. For instance, a campfire flame feels very hot on your face from radiant heat even if you are at or below the flame but the actual heated air from the flame only goes up in calm winds as heat always naturally rises! The sun's radiant heat is very intense and that's is the culprit. White or shiny silver reflects the radiant heat while dark surfaces absorb the heat and that should be what guides your thinking. Best way is to use what works the best and has been proven to.
As silversand had mentioned, neither he nor I will disclose my background in effective RV insulation measures since 1993 but they are widely used by the better/high end RV manufacturers. Some do use/install insulating materials correctly and some do not as an air leak is an air leak and that makes a huge difference. Only a few manufacturers have ever actually Thermochamber tested their true production RV unit/units at zero F and 100 F as it's expensive and time consuming but doing so tells the real truths! Several of those who have actually put into print the test results in their brochures. Look for them as they do mean something! A claim to be true 4 season RV's by some is very bogus and as usual, the buying public believes the salesman or a claim in a brochure with NO certification or certified test results printed and it's sham!
covered wagon,
I have no idea why you'd have any flaking of foil under your mattress as it's so far from normal. We have also had Astro Foil under every TC mattress since 2001 and never had as much as one flake or any derogatory issues and it's been extremely effective even in below zero F use. So have the many friends of ours I've exposed them to the reflective bubble wrap and use it and never heard a peep about anything like flaking or failures. They swear by it! True that Reflectix is a cheap knockoff of the more expensive original better 2 sided foil bubble wrap "Astro Foil" which was originally developed for NASA and has and is used in all the space vehicles and very high altitude jet fighters. It's colder up there than anywhere on earth and hotter during the return into the atmosphere than anywhere on earth! If it protects humans etc in those vehicles from freezing or cooking, don't you think it just might really help you in your RV down on the Planet Earth? True that nobody but you knows what you may have used on either side of your bubble wrap at any time but I'm very suspicious!
